So, it's Christmas Eve night, and I'm cozied up on the couch in the sala with a nice hot cup of coffee, just the way I like it with some powdered Alaska in it (you'll know what I mean if you live in the Philippines) and I'm doing what I do alot these days, reflecting and remembering and just pondering.

Back in the US, every Christmas Eve, we would wake up and go have Christmas Eve breakfast at my Grandma A's house, then that evening when we came home from Grandma and Grandpa's house, we would have a quiet settled family Christmas, just me, Momma, Daddy, and Bub...this year, that is all quite different. Here in the Philippin*s, Christmas Eve is a party! It's almost 11 pm and there are still very loud fireworks going off, I've had texts from friends who are feasting now, and some of those here at GH are in the next room screaming at the TV playing wii, planning on staying up all night.

The difference makes my mind reel...Christmas Eve to me is a quiet peaceful relaxing time, and here I am, relaxing and peaceful in the midst of partying buzzing nation.

Everything is still so new to me, this whole new world that God has brought me to, this all-new life. I can look and see the life that I would've planned for myself, and this life that God has given me is so much better... it leaves me speechless. I know exactly what I would be doing if I had planned my life, and yea.. it would be ok, but God's plans were so much greater! I'm soo soo thankful that He stepped in and took control of my life, that He loosened my grip and lifted my control.

This life is raw... there is literally life and death every day here. We have a baby less than a week old sleeping in the next room, life. Then a few days ago, we got word that one of our kid's siblings in a near-by squatter community died during the week.. simply from dehydration, death.

This evening we went to a Christmas Eve service, and the speaker spoke about how unlikely the words Merry Christmas are, how they don't really go together at all. Merry meaning happy and Christmas, the mas part meaning the death of Christ. So it's like being happy about the death of Christ.. how it doesn't seem to fit..yet through God's plan it does fit. We celebrate the birth of Jesus this time of year, but we remember that He came to this Earth for one reason, to die. He came to die and take the punishment for our sin. ("So.. Jesus gots a spanking?!?!" .. you'll have to read through my blog to find the story that goes along with that quote! :) ). But that's exactly what we are doing, we are celebrating the death, we celebrate that He was born.. born to die.. for us.

I have a blog post that I'm working on, I've been working on it for a while, and I'm not sure when the right time will come for me to post it, but it's something that has been stirring in my heart for a while now. There has just been so much reflection and remembering in my life and mind lately.

Well, ok, I think I'm done rambling for now.

*Merry CHRISTMAS Everyone!*

~ To God Be the Glory!